This disclosure relates to turbomachines, and more particularly to an annular flow path of a turbomachine.
Turbomachines include flow paths with a plurality of airfoils, both non-rotating stator vanes and rotating rotor blades, typically arranged in an axially alternating configuration. Such flow paths are defined between radially-inward and radially-outward endwalls, or periphery, that guide air flow within the turbomachine. The interaction between the air flow progressing through such a flow path and the plurality of airfoils may result in the formation of a non-uniform pressure field within the flow path. Rotor blade airfoils that are moving through this non-uniform pressure field may experience the non-uniform pressure field in a time-varying manner which may result in the generation of time-varying stresses within the airfoil. The magnitude of these stresses may be of considerable concern if they compromise the structural integrity of the rotor blades due to material failure.